Supreme Court president Charnchai Likhit-jittha and former World Trade Organisation chief Supachai Panitchpakdi yesterday emerged as the two leading choices for the post of interim prime minister.

Both are understood to be at the top of the four-man short list prepared by the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) for submission to His Majesty the King next Wednesday.

The other two likely choices are Ackaratorn Chularat, president of Supreme Administrative Court, and MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, governor of the Bank of Thailand.

CDRM sources said Charnchai, the Supreme Court president, was slated as the favourite due to his competence and flexibility.

"His spirit of compromise is suitable for the country's top leadership at this juncture," said a top CDRM official, who asked not to be named.

The CDRM, which overthrew the Thaksin Shinawatra government last Tuesday, held a meeting that lasted three hours to discuss possible candidates to replace Thaksin.

The CDRM earlier said it would appoint an interim premier within two weeks.

CDRM sources said they were still trying to persuade Supachai, the former director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to take up the premiership.

Supachai is now the secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Develop-ment (Unctad).

"So far, the talks have not progressed," the CDRM source said, adding that Supachai was reluctant to leave the top UN agency since he still had more than a year to go in his term.

Supachai could also be perceived as being "close" to the former opposition Democrat Party, even though he has been representing Thailand abroad for many years, the source said.

Supachai, who was the WTO chief until last year, is the most internationally recognised figure on the CDRM short list.

General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, the Army chief and leader of the CDRM, declined to be specific as to who would be appointed as the new interim prime minister.

Sonthi would only say the CDRM was considering its choices.

"But I can say the CDRM's initial task [of appointing the premier and handing over the country's administration] will be accomplished within two weeks, as announced earlier," he said.

Admiral Satirapan Keyanon, the Navy chief and deputy leader of the CDRM, said the interim premier had to be impartial and ready to sacrifice by working hard to return Thailand to normal.

He also declined to disclose any names.

The CDRM earlier said the interim premier would have about a year to draft a new constitution and call a general election.

Sources said candidates for other top posts in the interim government included Wissanu Krea-ngam as deputy premier for legal affairs, Dej Bunnag or Asda Chayanam for foreign affairs and Piyasvasti Amranand or Sophon Suphapong for the Energy Ministry.

Others include central-bank chief Pridiyathorn for finance, Meechai Ruchupan as chairman of the advisory council on drafting the charter and Borwornsak Uwanno for Cabinet secretary-general.

For defence, the two top candidates are General Oud Buangbon and General Wichit Ya-thip. General Panthep Puwanartnurak is tipped for interior.

Another CDRM source said the most important task of the interim government was to draft the new charter to replace the 1997 one abrogated by the military.

"Many people have been calling for constitutional amendments to address worsening corruption, because there was widespread graft in the previous government. Conflicts of interest and favouritism abounded.

"We also intend to restore peace and order and wipe out disunity among the citizenry as well as resolve the unrest in the southernmost provinces more effectively," he said.

Sophon Suphapong, a former Bangkok senator, said the CDRM would have to ensure that the new interim premier and his Cabinet had an outstanding record of integrity.

"We had no economic crisis before, but we faced a serious leadership crisis, because the top leader was unethical," he said.

"The CDRM has to make sure that no persons with close links to the former Thaksin regime are named to the new Cabinet. I think new ministers should be familiar with HM the King's initiatives on economic self-sufficiency," he added.